Mailbox having a hingedly supported container



y 1950 A. F. HARTMAN 2,507,785

MAILBOX HAVING A HINGEDLY SUPPORTED CONTAINER Filed May 15, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet l B 7 aye.

Gttorneg May 16, 1950 A. F. HARTMAN MAILBOX HAVING A HINGEDLY SUPPORTED CONTAINER Filed May 15, 1948 2 Sheet-Sheet 2 Zhmentot Patented May 16, 1950 UNITED STATES FATENT OFFICE MAILBOX HAVING A HINGEDLY SUPPORTED CONTAINER 1 Claim.

This invention relatesto containers for mail and particularly to container or box adapted to be supported on the outside of a housing structure or in the wall to have access from the inside of the house.

With mail boxes of this character heretofore in use it is dililcult, particularly without side boxes, to remove the mail from the box due to inability to insert the hand into the box for removal of the mail.

It is the principal object of the present invention to provide a mail box having a container for the mail hingedly connected to the mail chute so that the mail container may be opened from the chute to provide easy access to the mail in the container.

Other objects of the present invention are to provide a mail box which may be inset in the wall of a building structure having a chute hingedly connected to the outer wall of the structure or a chute opening from the wall, and the mail container hingedly connected to the chute so that the mail container may be opened to provide easy access to the mail in the container; to provide a device having a mail chute and mail container hingedly connected together so that they may be opened to position the mail container in horizontal position to provide access to the mail, and to provide a device of this character simple, economical to manufacture and efilcient in operation.

In accomplishing these and other objects of the invention I have provided improved details of structure, the preferred forms of which are shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of my invention adapted to be attached to the outside of a building structure.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the mail box shown attached to the outside of the building structure and the box in open position.

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view through the device.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the box with the lid in open position.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view with the parts shown in disassembled relation and parts broken away to better illustrate the invention.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the front or door portion of the mail box in the form of the invention adapted to fit in the wall of the structure and be opened from the inside of the building.

Fig. '7 is a vertical sectional view through the device shown in Fig. 6 installed in a wall.

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the invention of the box illustrated in Figs. 6 and 7 shown in open position.

2 Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the lid of the opening to the mail box in this form of the invention.

Referring more in detail to the drawings:

5 designates a mail box embodying the features of my invention comprising a chute 2 having a back 3 and sides 4 and 5. The chute 2 is hingedly connected to the outside of a building structure indicated at 6 by a hinge 1. Any suitable hinge may be used but I have here shown the hinge as having ears 8 adapted to be secured to cars 9 on the top edge of the back portion 3 of the chute 4 and also with cars In secured to the rear edge of a lid or cover 5 l by a pin 12 thus hingedly connecting the chute and lid to the building structure by screws or the like l3 (Fig. 2). The upper edges of the sides 4 and 5 of the chute 2 are tapered as indicated at I l against which the lid H rests so as to provide a sloping surface on the lid so that moisture will run off the front part of the box.

I 5 designates a mail receptacle of substantially rectangular shape having a front face l6 and sides IT and I8 and back I9. The back 19 terminates a slight distance lower than midway of the receptacle and is provided with ears 20 adapted to receive a pin 2| which also engages in ear 22 attached to the lower end of the back of the chute 2 to hingedly connect the back [9 of the receptacle to the lower edge of the chute. The sides I! and I8 of the mail receptacle are slightly wider than the sides 4 and 5 of the chute so that they will pass the sides 4 and 5 when the receptacle is closed.

A card receptacle 23 is provided in the front face "5 of the mail receptacle and a hook 24 secured to the front face It of the box by screws or the like 25 to provide a handle for opening the receptacle.

In use of the mail box thus described the lid H is raised and mail dropped into the chute which comes to rest on the bottom 26 of the mail receptacle l5. When it is desired to remove the mail receptacle outward pull on the handle 24 will cause the receptacle to hinge on the chute and assume a horizontal position as shown in Fig. 2 with the bottom 26 resting against the building structure 6. The mail as indicated at 21 is thus freely accessible for removal. The receptacle may then be closed by point-outward pull from the mail receptacle and slight push on the handle member was so that the receptacle will then engage over the mail chute. I have here illustrated the device as made of sheet metal, but it will be obvious any suitable material, such as wood or plastic, may be used.

The form of the invention shown in Figs. 6 to 9, inclusive, illustrates the mail box adapted for access from the interior of a building structure.

In this form of structure designates an outer wall of the building structure and 3| the inner wall. Secured to the outer wall is plate 32 having an opening cooperating with an opening 33 in the wall -38,=the-opening being covered by a lid 34 designated mail hingedly connected to a plate 32 as indicated at 35 which is the usual custom. A chute 36 is provided between the inner and outer wall 30 and 3|. A chute 36' having a back 31 and sides 38 and 39 is hingedly connected to the lower front portion of the chute 36 as indicated at 40 (Fig. '7). A mailreceptacle 4| having a bottom 42, back 43 and sides 44 and 45 is hingedly connected to the lower portion of the back 31 of the chute 36 as indicated-at'4e (Fig. 7). The back 43 terminates slightly below midway of the mail receptacle as in the form of invention shown inFigs. 1 "to 5, inclusive. The mail receptacle includes a front face 41 which fits within a frame plate 48 surrounding the opening 49 in the inner wall 3|. The front face 4! is provided with a card receptacle 50 for the name of the owner, and a hook or handle 5| is also provided on'the-front face and secured thereto by screws 52 as in the preferred form of the invention.

Operation of said device is substantially similar to the preferredform of invention; the lid 34 is hinged back and the mail dropped through the chute 36 to the chute 36' and comes to rest on the-bottom 42 of the mail receptacle. The receptacle is opened by outward pull on the handle 52 so that the receptacle assumesa horizontal position as shown in Fig. 8 and the mail 54 is readily accessible for removal therefrom. The box may 4 then be closed as stated in connection with the preferred form of the invention.

It will be obvious from the foregoing that I have provided an improved mail receptacle which provides easy access to the mail in the receptacle.

What I claim and desire to show by Letters Patent is:

In a mail box or the like, a chute having a back and side walls and open ends and front portion, pivotally mounted by the back at one end to a support for hanging in substantially vertical position when the box is closed, a receptacle for the mail having a, closed front portion, a bottom, side walls and back portion, a part of the back portion being closed and the remainder of the back portion being open, said receptacle being hinged at itsback at the junction of the closed and open parts thereof to the back of the free end of the chute, the open back portion of the receptacle engaging over the sides of the chute when in closed position, said chute swinging outwardly from the support and the receptacle assuming a horizontal position when the receptacle is opened for removal of mail from the box.

ALFRED F. HARTMAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,527,223 Rastetter Feb. 24, 1925 1,640,981 Cohan Aug. 30, 1927 

